Brendon McCullum opens up about his career, captaincy, and retirement

The former New Zealand captain, Brendon McCullum retired from international Cricket in February, earlier this year, after their Test series against Australia at home. In his spectacular 14-year long career for New Zealand – between 2002 and 2016 – he played 101 Tests, 260 One-Day Internationals and 71 Twenty20 Internationals.

McCullum was appointed the captain of the Kiwis in December 2012, and New Zealand cricket saw a complete turnaround in fortunes. In an interview with Cricbuzz, the batsman opened up about his captaincy, his sudden retirement call, and his passion for the game.

Commenting on his shot selection, McCullum divulged that most of his shots are mostly pre-meditated, depending on the situation and the bowler who is bowling to him. In fact, he mentioned that it is more of his instincts taking over when it comes to doing what comes naturally at that moment.

Opening up regarding the pressure and responsibility that he faces on representing his country at the international platform, the belligerent Kiwi believed that the popularity comes along with its baggage and hence where there is adulation, criticism will follow.

Speaking on the role he played in the New Zealand cricketing setup, he revealed that he as well as the board looked at not only harnessing the cricketing skills of the players but also establish a code of conduct. As captain, he believed that the outlines will help the youngsters to come to the fore and also help them deal with the pressures that come with criticism bot in the game and their personal lives.

The end result he believed was not only to groom talented youngsters but also to cultivate strong individuals which would help them even after they hang up their boots.

Talking about his captaincy, he said that he just made a conscious effort to remind the players the purpose of why they are in the team. He rejuvenated the pride of playing for the country, in them.

“My leadership style was very much about trying to rediscover the soul of the New Zealand cricket team; trying to bring back the essence of why we got into the game in the first place. I played for ten years where I was a part of the New Zealand cricket team but I didn't love the New Zealand cricket team.

“The last three years, we tried to bring back that real passion of just playing for your country. It's amazing once you've rediscovered the innocence of cricket and why you got into the game in the first place and how much fun it can be as a player as well. Hopefully, that was a legacy I left from a captaincy point of view.”

I wanted to leave the game while still having the same passion and love for it

McCullum announced his retirement unexpectedly in December after the Sri Lanka series. He feared that if he continued to play for long, he might lose the essence of the game.

“There were certain events that unfolded over the last 12-18 months which challenged us a little bit, but I knew that my style of leadership would not last a long, long time.

“I wanted to leave loving the game. In the end, I decided to leave after the Test matches, which is the purest form of the game, which I loved the most throughout my career, against our No.1 opposition in my home town. I couldn't have asked for a better finish than that.”

The 34-year-old concluded saying that cricket helps one to grow and improve as an individual as well.

“The ability to want something, to go for it, to be ambitious and work hard for it; to try as hard as you can, to sacrifice whatever you can. It's about the guys you meet and the friendships you make across the world. I walk away knowing it has made me a better person from the time I walked in at 20 to the time that I walked out at 34.”